Tips to protect your hair during Holi

New Delhi: It's that time of year when colours, water and delicious sweetmeats are on everyone's mind and there's no better day than Holi to let your hair down and indulge in some fun.

While the festival of colours is all fun and games, harsh chemicals and metal oxides mixed in colours can take a serious toll on your mane. Here are some suggestions from famous hair specialist Jawed Habib that will make sure that you are ready with some serious damage-control remedies.

1. Make sure you apply a good amount of oil 15 minutes before getting into the colours. The oil can be any basic oil like - coconut, olive or mustard. Avoid blends or special hair growth oils. Oil should not be hot or warm, use it on room temperature only. Hot oil is not very good for hair.

2. Don't leave your hair open, tie it in a ponytail or make a bun. Open hair soaks more colours and scalp also gets affected when it's open.

3. No hair accessories while paying with colours, when the hair gets wet, it becomes weak from the roots and the accessories pull it off.

4. Wear a cap, scarf or cover your hair with a bandana. If possible wear a plastic shower cap under your cap.that is the most helpful.

5. After playing with dry colours, brush your hair well. It will take out most of the colour while brushing only. But this works only in dry colours.

6. For wet colours, rinse hair thoroughly with plain water and then apply shampoo and wash. Don't try to massage shampoo harshly to take off the colour in one go. It may take few days to take it out completely. Use baby shampoos or natural shampoos to wash Holi hair, they are gentle and work equally well. No hot water to wash hair during Holi, it can make it worst. Hot water makes your hair dry and you can imagine what can happen if it's already dry with colours and over washing.

7. No blow drying after wash on Holi, let your hair dry up naturally.

8. Apply serum or protectant after your hair is washed and dried. Use organic colours to play Holi, they are less damaging and are equally colourful.

9. Post-Holi, apply oil for 5 minutes daily before wash. This helps a lot for colour-damaged hair. Avoid hot styling tools for 2 weeks; instead make plaits and buns to style hair. Don't expose your hair to sun, wear something or take an umbrella while moving out.

10. If possible, go for a haircut or a trim after Holi. This will take out the dead ends of the hair. A spa treatment is good for chemically styled hair after Holi. Postpone your colour or rebonding to two weeks after Holi if it's due.